This grilled corn salad recipe sings of summer! A fresh, healthy side dish that highlights fresh summer corn, creamy avocado, radishes, red onion, and fresh herbs, tossed in a simple, tangy lime dressing. Vegan and gluten-free.
Why You’ll Love Our Corn Salad!
Nothing speaks of summer like fresh, sweet corn on the cob. This corn salad really brings out the best in corn! Grilling the corn gives it a delicious smoky char, enhancing all its goodness.
It’s the perfect summer salad for potlucks, barbecues, and outdoor gatherings- pairing wonderfully as a side dish with grilled proteins, such as tofu, salmon, chicken, shrimp, or steak. With its fresh balance of flavors, this grilled corn salad will leave your taste buds happy! Simple ingredients make it a breeze to make!
Corn Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Corn: Use fresh ears of sweet corn with firm kernels.
- Crunchy radishes: add a delicious crisp texture and a peppery flavor to the salad.
- Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice, or sub lemon juice.
- Red onion: For sharp, pungent flavor that complements the other ingredients. Or for milder flavor, sub with green onion.
- Fresh herbs: Packs in fresh, summery flavor- use fresh cilantro, basil, or dill!
- Avocado: For a creamy note. Tip: If you prep the salad, wait to add the avocado until just before serving.
How to Make the Best Corn Salad
1. Grill the corn. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Cook corn directly on a greased grill, turning every 3 minutes, until lightly charred on each side.
Let cool, then cut the kernels off the cobs. Tip: Lay the ear of corn down, horizontal on the counter and slice it downward for a more controlled approach. (Typically the corn cobs are held straight up and vertically while slicing downward which inevitably gets corn kernels everywhere.)
2. Prepare the tangy dressing. In a large bowl, mix together lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. You’ll add the salad to this bowl, so use a big one!
3. Assemble. Add the onion first, letting it sit for a minute to tame the flavor, if desired. Add the grilled corn, and herbs. Toss, then top with the avocado.
4. Taste and adjust. Adjust for salt, lime, or pepper as needed. If you like spice, feel free to add chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne.
Corn Salad Variations
- Add beans: Add homemade black beans– they make a tasty addition that pairs perfectly with the corn, and add protein!
- Add other veggies: If desired, add halved cherry tomatoes, minced jalapeños, garlic, diced red bell pepper, or sweet bell peppers.
- Add cheese: A sprinkle of feta cheese or cotija cheese would be nice here, too.
- Char the corn on the stove: If you don’t have access to a grill, char corn kernels in a cast-iron skillet, or directly over a gas burner on the stovetop.
Chef’s Tips
- Add the avocado just before serving to avoid browning.
- Meal prep the salad by mixing the dressing and storing in a jar, and grilling the corn and mixing with the herbs. Store in a separate container.
- Tame the onions by letting it sit in the olive oil and lime juice for a few minutes before proceeding with the remaining ingredients.
- Save the cobs and add to your next batch of veggie stock for delicious flavor!
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for one day. If you leave avocado out until serving, the corn salad will stay fresh up to 4 days sealed in an airtight container.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy as a light summer lunch, as an appetizer with tortilla chips, or serve as a side dish with grilled protein. Here are some of our favorites mains to enjoy with this corn salad!
- Grilled Tofu
- Grilled Salmon
- Grilled Lemon Chicken, Grilled Chipotle Chicken, or Huli Huli Chicken
- Grilled Shrimp
- Grilled Steak or Grilled Steak Tacos
This Grilled Corn Salad recipe is a delicious way to celebrate the season! Let us know what you think in the comments!
More Summer Salad Recipes!
Grilled Corn Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: salad, side dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This grilled Corn Salad sings of summer! A fresh, healthy side dish that highlights fresh summer corn, creamy avocado, radishes, red onion, and fresh herbs, tossed in a simple, tangy lime dressing. Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 4 large ears of fresh sweet corn
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (or lemon juice)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced small (or for milder onion flavor, use green onion)
- 1/2 cup radishes, diced or sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (or sub basil)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or sub basil)
- 1 avocado, diced (see notes)
Instructions
- Grill the corn. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill corn, turning every 3 minutes until all sides are lightly charred. Once cool, cut the kernels off the corn cobs (see notes).
- Make the Dressing. In a large bowl combine lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. You’ll use this bowl for the salad too, so grab a big one!
- Combine. Add red onion (let them marinate in the dressing for few minutes to “tame” the onions, if desired). Add the grilled corn, radishes and fresh herbs, and toss together. Add the avocado (right before serving.)
- Season. Adjust to taste, adding salt, lime or pepper as needed. If you like spice, add chili flakes, or a pinch of cayenne.
Notes
Store leftovers in the fridge for one day. If avocado is left out, corn salad will stay fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
You can prepare the salad a couple of hours ahead of time, omitting the avocado, and add it just before serving to prevent it from browning.
Tip. Lay the ear of corn down, horizontal on the counter, and slice it downward for a more controlled approach. (Typically, the corn cobs are held straight up and vertically while slicing downward which inevitably gets corn kernels everywhere.) Save the cobs (you can freeze them!) and add them to your next batch of veggie stock for delicious flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 271
- Sugar: 9.7 g
- Sodium: 182.2 mg
- Fat: 16.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.7 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
FAQs
Our corn salad is made with lime, red onion, dill, cilantro, and avocado. Grilled corn adds extra depth of flavor and gives it a delicious texture.
If storing the salad for later, keep the dressing separate and mix just before serving.
Lay the ear of corn down, horizontal on the counter and slice it downward for a more controlled approach. (Typically the corn cobs are held straight up and vertically while slicing downward which inevitably gets corn kernels everywhere.)
